Inside Look Inside at New Randall County Jail

Amarillo, Texas - The Randall County Jail expansion is set to open it's doors to inmates next week.

NewsChannel 10's Kristen Guilfoos has more on how spending millions now will actually save money in the future.

The expansion added three new pods... A total of 144 new beds. Those beds will be filled mostly with inmates who are now at the Amarillo city jail, which is closing it's doors next week.

That building is old and we're told it would cost a small fortune to re-build and bring up to modern code. So, instead, the city decided it would be more cost effective and a better use of taxpayer dollars to merge with Randall County.

Randall Co. Jail Administrator Captain Debbie Unruh says, "We've had three jails for years and years and years with Potter County, Randall County, and the City of Amarillo. It makes it difficult. We have a lot of budgets for doing the same thing and i think this just combines a budget. It's a benefit to both the city and the county."

Amarillo will pay Randall county $54.87 per day per inmate. This latest addition will have large cells... As many as eight inmates to one room. The pods are pretty much where they'll do everything... Eat, sleep, play games, watch TV, talk with visitors and attorneys.

The only reason the inmates will leave is to go to court or to get medical treatment.